30 Second Wine Advisor: Sauvignon Blanc and curry

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 Sauvignon Blanc and curry
With its bright, bold aromas and intense flavor, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc makes a surprising match with curries and spicy dishes.
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 Omaka Springs 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($14.99) Striking aromas of green chile pepper and green olive set up a mouthwatering Sauvignon Blanc in classic Marlborough style.
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Sauvignon Blanc and curry

Pour a glass of Sauvignon Blanc with dinner, and certain specific food accompaniments come to mind. Asparagus, of course, and salads: These "green" flavors go naturally with the herbaceous character that's typical of Sauvignon Blanc.

For more substantial means, I like seafood with Sauvignon Blanc. Its tart, citric flavors seem to go as well as a squirt of lemon with seafood or fish. Pork or poultry will work well, too, with this relatively food-friendly wine.

But here's a slightly more offbeat suggestion: With its bright, bold aromas and intense flavor, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in particular makes a surprising match with curries and spicy dishes. Intense and fragrant food and intense and fragrant wine can make a "likes-with-likes" match that makes the flavors sing, and the combination of sharp acidity and slight sweetness in many NZ Sauvignon Blancs can help mellow the curry's heat.

Today's featured wine, typical of NZ with its green-chile and green-olive aromas, made a fine match with a simple chicken tikka-style curry. You'll find my notes below

And remember that we're featuring Sauvignon Blanc, particularly new world bottlings, in this month's Wine Focus on our WineLovers Discussion Groups. Click
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewforum.php?f=18 to join in.



Omaka Springs 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($14.99)

Omaka Springs

Very pale straw color. Striking aromas, a little green chile pepper and a little more green olive. On the palate it's citric and tart, bright lime and mouth-watering acidity, presents as nearly dry, but a touch of sweetness shows up on the finish. A dollop of 11% Semillon adds texture to the Sauvignon Blanc. Not overly alcoholic, a plus; bold and aromatic, typical of Sauvignon Blanc in the New Zealand style. U.S. importer: TGIC Importers, Inc., Woodland Hills, Calif. (July 7, 2008)

FOOD MATCH: This one was particularly well-suited with the aromatic flavors in a mild chicken curry.

VALUE: A good value in the lower teens, but take the time to shop around, especially if you have access to online stores, as U.S. prices for the 2007 on Wine-Searcher.com vary all the way from $7.99 to $18.75.

WHEN TO DRINK: Best drunk up reasonably soon, although the sturdy metal screwcap will help protect it for a few years.

WEB LINK:
Here's a link to the Omaka Springs website:
http://www.omaka.co.nz
and a PDF-format fact sheet about this wine:
http://www.omaka.co.nz/pdfs/Sauvignon_Blanc_07.pdf

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and check prices for Omaka Springs Sauvignon Blanc on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
find/Omaka%2bSauvignon/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP


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